Friday, September 30, 2016

Reviving Our Native Philippine Songs

Ethnic Music reduces anxiety and pain, induces relaxation, thus promoting the overall sense of well-being of the individual.

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class Monday to Friday

Have you ever noticed village folks singing or humming as they attend to their chores? 

Music is closely associated with everyday life among village folks more than it is to us living in the city. The natives find content and relaxation beside a waterfall, on the riverbank, under the trees, in fact there is to them music in silence under the stars, on the meadow, at sunset, at dawn. Breeze, crickets, running water, make a repetitious melody that induces sleep. 

Fernando Amorsolo's paintings such as this, provide the ideal backdrop of Philippine ethnic music. 

 Humming indicates that one likes his or her work, and can go on for hours without getting tired at it. Boat songs make rowing synchronized. Planting songs make the deities of the field happy, so they believe; and songs at harvest are thanksgiving. Seldom is there an activity without music. The sound of nature to them is music.

Typical Filipina on the countryside (Ang Dalagang Pilipina),
painting by Fernando Amorsolo

According to researcher Leonora Nacorda Collantes, of the UST graduate school, music influences the limbic system, called the “seat of emotions” and causes emotional response and mood change. Musical rhythms synchronize body rhythms, mediate within the sphere of the autonomous nervous and endocrine systems, and change the heart and respiratory rate. Music reduces anxiety and pain, induces relaxation, thus promoting the overall sense of well being of the individual.

Ethnic music has greatly influenced folk music that we know today, such as the following. These are songs about

  • rowing the boat (Talindaw) 
  • planting rice (Magtanim Hindi Biro); 
  • a happy, simple home (Bahay Kubo), 
  • wedding (Diona) 
  • the butterfly (Paruparong Bukid) 
  • a tiny bird (Ang Pipit) 
  • lullaby (uyayi, hele, Ugoy ng Duyan) 
  • love's pleading (Kundiman) 
  • serenade (Harana) 
  • countryside living (Sa Libis ng Nayon) 
  • a light or star (O Ilaw, Aking Bituin) 
  • wooden clog (Bakya Mo Neneng) 
  • exulting the young Filipina (Dalagang Pilipina 
  • early love, "The Love of a Girl" (Ti Ayat ti Maysa nga Ubing Ilk) 
  • a broken clay pot (Nabasag ang Banga) 
Here is an example of an indigenous song, Uyayi or hele (Lullaby). Note how natural and spontaneous it is. The lyrics were invented to fit varied melodies. You can make your own, too.

Matulog ka na, bunso
Sleep now, youngest one

Ang ina mo ay malayo
Your mother is far away

at hindi ka masundo
and she can't come for you

May putik, may balaho
There's mud, there's a swamp

Among the Filipino musicologists who have contributed much to the revival and conservation of traditional Philippine music are

1. Fr. Morice Vanoverberg, who focused on the traditional music of the Lepanto Igorots of the north.

2. Emilia Cavan, for her collection of Filipino Folk Songs published in 1924.

3. Norberto Romualdez , for his collection of Folk Songs in the 'Philippine Progressive Music Series' published in the late 1920s. The series became the textbook for teaching music in the Primary School. It remains to be the most important collection of traditional music from the Philippines, since a copy of it is still available in major Municipal and Provincial Libraries in the country.

4. Emilia Reysio-Cruz, for her collection of 'Filipino Folk Songs' that caters to the so- called 'Eight Major Languages' of the country. The collection is perhaps the best representation of the songs from these ethnolinguistic groups.

5. Dr. Jose Maceda, former chair of the Department of Asian Music Research of the College of Music of the University of the Philippines, also did some collection which began in 1953 and lasted until 1972. This was followed by collections from his students as well.

6. Lucrecia Roces Kasilag (August 31, 1918- August 16, 2008) was a noted composer, educator, cultural and arts administrator, and performing artist. She was named National Artist in Music in 1989. She pioneered the fusion of Filipino ethnic and Western music. She dared to mix indigenous Filipino instruments with Western orchestra in her prize-winning "Toccata for Percussions and Winds, Divertissement and Concertante," and the scores of the Filiasiana, Misang Pilipino and De Profundis. She was fondly called "Tita King".



7. Prof. Raul Sunico, currently the dean of the Conservatory of Music of the University of Santo Tomas, published his own collection. He began with publishing a collection of lullabies, followed by love songs, then by work songs. Finally, he published a collection of songs about Filipino women, a major topic of traditional songs from all the ethnolinguistic groups. All these collections were arranged for the piano and the words are given in their original languages. A translation is also supplied, not to mention a brief backgrounder about the culture of the specific ethnic groups.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

The Swallow (La Golondrina) "Oh graceful swallow . . ".

La Golondrina is one of the best loved songs in the world. It comes in many versions and musical renditions - instrumental, orchestral, quartet, chorus, or simply as ballad.
 Dr Abe V Rotor 

Swallows keep equidistance on electric wire. Florida Blanca, Pampanga (Aerial photos by the author)

La Golondrina is one of the best loved songs in the world. It comes in many versions and musical renditions - instrumental, orchestral, quartet, chorus, or simply as ballad. It is one of the favorite songs of the late singer Nat King Cole, the great tenors Pavarotti and Domingo, and not least, the balladeer Pat Boone.

The lyrics of the song have been translated in practically all major languages of the world. Sad to say, however, some versions have failed to keep the classical quality and significance of the song.

You can play it on the violin, piano or flute. If you have advanced music lessons try making your own variations - maybe two or three, but reserve one for the finale. Throughout your playing be keen at preserving the melody and theme.
I prefer the solo violin with a soulful ambiance of nostalgia, imagining this majestic bird flying in the blue sky, keeping company with its flock and momentarily finding freedom, and coming close to earth to bring a message of peace and joy this Christmas Season.

 

Version 1: The Swallow (La Golondrina)

To far off lands, the swallow now is speeding
For warmer climes and sun-drenched foreign shores
While cooler breezes tell of summer fading
My heart with you, into the heavens will soar.

Oh graceful swallow bear a message of love
For on your journey, lies the land of my heart
As down you sweep, shed my blessings upon them
That tell of love which in my heart still burns

Among those shores are all that I care or live for
My home, my loved ones, waiting for my return
Then glide downwards as you see from above
A sea swept isle from which we had to part

Each winter long console me in my dreaming
And you fond swallow on your gleaming wings
Will speed as I would wish I could go speeding
Straight to their hearts, and with you my love bring

Oh graceful swallow . . .
(repeat last line)

Song also known as 'The Mexican 'Home Sweet Home'. Serradel: Mexican composer (1843-1910) born in Veracruz. His name appears variously as 'Narciso Serradell', 'Narciso Serradel' or 'Narciso Serradel Sevilla'.

The Spanish lyrics of La Golondrina (The Swallow) use the image of a migrating swallow to evoke sentiments of longing for one's homeland. The song has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, either as an instrumental or with various lyrics.

Author plays the violin with cildren Anna on the piano, and Marlo with the flute 

Version 2: LA GOLONDRINA (THE SWALLOW)

1. High in the sky
At break of dawn I see
The swallow fly
Above the world
Among the drifting clouds he flashes by
Beneath the caves his little mate is waiting
Beneath the leaves where all his treasures lie.

2. Ah, would that I were a swallow that flies through the sky,
On the wing, rejoicing, where all care flutters by,
So light and free, above the voice of the throng,
High up in the sky, where all the world's a song!

REPEAT 1.

Version 3: LA GOLONDRINA

Whither so swiftly flies the timid swallow,
What distant bourne seeks her untiring wing?
To reach it safe, what needle does she follow,
When darkness wraps the poor, wee storm-tossed thing?
To build her nest near to my couch, I'll call her;
Why go so far bright and warm skies to keep!
Safe would she be; no evil should befall her,
For I am an exile sad, too sad to weep;

My fatherland is dear, but I too left it;
Far am I from the spot where I was born;
Cheerless is life, fierce storms of joy bereft it;
Made me an exile lifelong and forlorn.
Come then to me, sweet feathered pilgrim stranger;
Oh! Let me clasp thee to my loving breast,
And list thy warbling low, secure from danger,
Unwonted tears bringing relief and rest.

(English words Thos. M. Westrup, ca. 1883) The lyrics above from a copy published in 1889 by Thomas Goggan and Bro. Galveston, TX, compliments of the Mexican National R Narciso Serradel Sevilla (1843-1910), a native of Alverado, Vera Cruz, Mexico, was both a doctor and a composer. During the war against the French Maximiliano, Serradel fought against the French Imperial troops alongside General Zaragoza. He was taken prisoner---and deported to France. He is most famous for his popular song of farewell, "La Golondrina." The song is a favorite of expatriate Mexicans..." It is often requested at the funerals of Mexican-Americans." The first two verses are often omitted (see post above, from "Canciones Populares"). The song is often thought of as "traditional."

In his lyrics, Serradel assumes the persona of Aben Hamid, a Moor of Granada, who was forced to leave his beloved home when Isabella and Ferdinand expelled the Moors and Jews from Spain in the 1490's; they were never to see their homeland, where they had lived for centuries, again.~

Designing a Book Cover - PHILIPPINE LITERATURE TODAY

Designing a Book Cover 
- PHILIPPINE LITERATURE TODAY 
Published by C and E Publishing Inc for the new General Curriculum (K2-12) 2015


About the Cover

The artist, Leo Carlo Rojas Rotor, BSFA-ID (UST), MIT (AdMU), redefines a difficult subject like literature on two fronts: the classic-tradition emanating from the beacon of a sacred temple on one, and the post-modern at the other extreme to which the beacon fades into the unknown.  In between the periodicity of time and space hangs in limbo the question, “Quo vadis?” (Where is literature going?)

The artist answers: Like in defining good government as government of, for and by the people, so is good literature.  As a binding force of a culture, literature is about people, their history, their beliefs and ideas. Literature is the mouthpiece of the people that carries their stories alive and beautiful from generation to generation.  Literature is their collective masterpiece, their imprimatur.  Literature is agent of change, never passive, never submissive; it is a pathfinder, a sailing vessel that brings “the promise of the tides.”

The artist’s confidence in his concept is seeing Rizal alive today, his ideas bearing fruits in a free world, Lola Basyang keeping children happy like in his time with mythology’s eternal magic, Balagtas in a new Renaissance in cinemas and the Internet, and Leona Florentino the muse of Philippine literature, unquestioned, undefiled.



Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Giant Clam (Taklobo) - Threatened Marine Shellfish

Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog [ avrotor.blogspot.com ]
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday


On-site study. Author helps lift a taklobo specimen for study.

Seven-kilogram Tridacna is examined by students in Environmental Science from the UST Graduate School; bottom photo shows its natural habitat at 6 to 14 feet on coral reef of San Salvador Island, east of Masinloc, Zambales.

Facts about the giant clam, Tridacna gigas. 

1. In the Philippines it is called taklobo. It is the largest living bivalve mollusk and one of the most endangered clams.

2. It lives on shallow coral reefs of the South Pacific and Indian oceans, up to 20 meters deep.

3. It weighs more than 200 kilograms (440 pounds), and measures as much as 1.2 m (4 feet) across. It has an average lifespan in the wild of 100 years or more.

4. Although larval clams are planktonic, they become sessile in adulthood. Growth is enhanced by the clam's ability to grow algae in symbiosis. The creature's mantle tissues act as a habitat for the symbiotic single-celled dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) from which it gets its nutrition. By day, the clam opens its shell and extends its mantle tissue so that the algae receive the sunlight they need to photosynthesize.

5. T. gigas reproduce sexually. They are hermaphrodites (producing both eggs and sperm), but self fertilization is not possible. Since giant clams can't move across the sea floor, the solution is broadcast spawning. This entails the release of sperm and eggs into the water where fertilization takes place.

Let's protect the giant clams. It's better to be assured they are alive on the seafloor than to have their fossils in our home.~




Tridacna in its natural habitat - lighted seafloor; Tridacna graveyard.

 Mrs Cecilia Rojas Rotor, author's wife. poses before a giant Tridacna 
shell as holy water receptacle. Mount Carmel Church, QC

References: Living with Nature by AVRotor; Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach by JW Nybakken; Wikipedia.

Seaweed Beauty

Dr Abe V Rotor 
Living with Nature School on Blog [ avrotor.blogspot.com ]
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday
Arusip or lato is the most common sea vegetable in the market.  It is high in folic and folinic acids.  Lato or Caulerpa is of two commercial species, C. racemosa which is cultured in estuaries and fishponds and and C. lentillifera which is usually found growing in the wild. It is the racemosa type that predominates the market. Because of frequent harvesting of this species by local residents lentillifera it is no longer popular in the market. Besides, the cultured Caulerpa is cleaner and more uniform. It has lesser damage and is less pungent than its wild counterpart. (Model: Miss Gelyn S Gabao, 19 Filipina)
 
Kulot or Gelidiella acerosa (Forsk) Feldmann and Hamel has tough and wiry thalli, greenish black to dull purple in color. They lie low and creeping on rocks and corals along the intertidal zone. It is very much branched when mature with secondary branches cylindrical at the base and flattened towards the tip and beset on both sides with irregular, pinnately short branches. The fertile branchlets have conspicuous swollen tips.

Too rich an imagination about a sea fairy  
        at the bottom of the sea;
if it were true, I would wonder less its bounty 
        than a maid's simple beauty;

Who farm the sea but a dainty, loving hand
        like that of Ceres on land;
in a world where mystery and enigma in bond
        shall forever astound man.~ 

Monday, September 26, 2016

Siargao Taktak Falls Mural at St Paul College, Surigao




Siargao Taktak Falls Mural 
at St Paul College, Surigao 
Dr Abe V Rotor

Siargao Taktak Falls Mural at St Paul College, Surigao painted by the author and his daughter,  Anna Christina Rotor, (in white and red).  Others in the photo are members of the school staff.  Mural was enshrined in memory of the late Pope John Paul II on the day of his funeral on April 8, 2005.

   
Close-up of the main falls of the 10ft x 20ft wall mural.

Siargao Taktak Falls is a roughly 14-meter waterfall located north of Siargao Island.  Folk knowledge has it that the name was derived from a large bell (taktak) which was thrown (hinulog) into the falls during the 15th century or the 16th century because the local villagers considered it too loud. Since then, it has become known as Hinulugang Taktak or the place where the bell fell. Wikipedia


* Dedicated to the late Pope John Paul II who died at the age of 84, on 2 April 2005,  The mural was enshrined in his memory on the date of his funeral in the Vatican on 8 April 2005.   Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines on February 17 to 22, 1981. During his pilgrimage he beatified Filipino Lorenzo Ruiz along with 15 other martyrs of Japan, the first beatification to be celebrated outside Rome. He returned to the Philippines in 1995 for World Youth Day. ~

Unity of Life


Dr Abe V Rotor 
Living with Nature School on Blog [ avrotor.blogspot.com ]
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

 
Unity of life, mural by the author ca 2006 

Our world is one and we're not apart,
      a fact primordial to all;
the essence of life is but a spark,
      the start of creatures all.

From that divine spark grew a beacon,
      into a living eternal flame
far and wide its torch is carried on and on -
      that life is one and same. ~

Rediscovering Lost Culture and Art - Pride of a People and Nation ^

Rediscovering Lost Culture and Art 
- Pride of a People and Nation

My dad taught me from my youngest childhood memories through these connections with Aboriginal and tribal people that you must always protect people's sacred status, regardless of the past. (Steve Irwin)

Dr Abe V Rotor 
Living with Nature School on Blog [ avrotor.blogspot.com ]

 Revival of Pottery: art and livelihood, environment friendly. Sudipen, La Union

Homogenization, like a giant pool, mirrors a phenomenon which is a consequence of progress - globalization.

Globalization is irreversible. But is it really progression. If it is trend of progress where will it lead us to? To what extent, and for how long? The believers of this thesis are disciples of science and technology, and therefore are not afraid to open new horizons. They seldom look behind.

The traditionalists look at things differently. They have deeper roots in history and culture, they find time to ponder and analyze, and ask oth
ers and themselves, “Quo vadis?” But don’t get me wrong as anti progressive, anti technology.

Globalization is like a cauldron in which diversities of culture are thrown into. They dissolve in our very eyes. Either they disappear or lose their identity.

Clearly there is homogenization of races, creeds, ideologies - technology. For example there is only one kind of car in the world – they all work of the principle of Internal Combustion. Formal education has generally of one pattern worldwide, from preparatory to post graduate; so with the various courses offered.


Ethnicity encompasses many aspects of life and culture; other the humanities are the natural sciences, ethnobotany among them (the study of the relationship of people and plants in a natural setting.). 


Ethnic wooden art in the Cordillera

From here evolved the knowledge of man in pharmacology, and while such knowledge has vastly grown into a major industry dominated by multinational companies, a great deal of herbal healing still abound in rural communities.

Folk wisdom akin to traditional knowledge is carried onto the present by elder members of the community has lost much significance in general perception, but a great number of them are enshrined by our culture and writings. They are natural leaders whose words are listened to with respect. Why village elders have also the role of an herbolario, matchmakers in marriages, teachers in their own right based on rich experiences and long practice!

Confucian teachings permeate in the family. Christian values are reinforced by age-long heritage, and vice versa. So with the teachings of Buddha and Mohammad, and other great religious leaders. Mythology, too, has deep rooted influence in our lives. It lives in our superstitious belief, folklore and customs. But many of these are being threatened, if not endangered, in our march toward progress and affluence, along with the current of postmodernism which is sweeping the world today.

On the other hand, there is growing consciousness for moderation in living. More and more people are looking for alternatives of the so-called Good Life.

One alternative is the revival of tradition, a rediscovery of lost culture and art can be enshrined in our present life.

1. Revival of ethno medicinal healing has suddenly found relevance where the dangers of modern medicine are perceived. Lagundi, Oregano, Sambong are now DOH-approved How about the bulk of herbal medicine?

2. It’s the cold wind from the north that came too soon that caused poor rice harvest. Old folks would tell us. And scientists confirm that pollination-fertilization is indeed adversely affected by cold weather.

Home child delivery assisted by a village "kumadrona" 


3. Pet therapy is gaining popularity even in modern hospitals. Victims of stroke who lost coordination of their hands surprisingly recover with a pet around.

4. Honeybee sting sends arthritic people back on the road.

5. Return to cotton, ramie, abaca, flax, and other natural fibers for clothing and other wears is indicative of people's awareness on the comfort and health benefits of these natural fibers, not to mention their being environment friendly.

5. Ethnic art  is gaining popularity in galleries and studios. Native arts are found on murals and in halls. The revival of ethnic art is very visible among the aborigines of Australia, the American Indians, the Incas and Aztecs. So with other indigenous cultures.


Headgear is ethnic art and status symbol among the Igorots.

-------------------
We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community - and this nation. - Cesar Chavez
-----------------
Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

Lichen

Lichen, a community of algae and fungi living in symbiosis,
carpets the trunk and branches of an old tree. Hokkaido, Japan.


Dr Abe V Rotor 
Living with Nature School on Blog [ avrotor.blogspot.com ]
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio 
738 DZRB AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

You are an artist, you paint and mold life at its barest
On weathered rocks and ancient trunks or some forgotten crest
And cliffs that through seasons howl or sleep or cry like a beagle,
Or the chameleon that mimics sunrise
And sunset with colors divine.
Bless you, pioneer of protolife,
Pathfinder of the bryophyte and the vine,
Precursor of forest primeval, home of the eagle and fireflies,
Probing what good is rock if it loses the essence where life rises.



Home, Sweet Home with Nature, AVR

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Prayer for the Nation

President Ferdinand E. Marcos (1965-1986)

Father of all mankind, we ask you to look down upon your people, and fill our hearts with your spirit, that we may have the grace and the wisdom to look into ourselves, and in so doing see our weaknesses and our strengths.

So many of us have lived in corruption, greed and violence, forgetting that this nation - or any other nation - cannot survive and grow and prosper unless we learn to live as brothers, striving not for our selfish ends, but for the common good.

Give us strength to rebuild our lives, leaving forever our selfish, corrupt and derelict ways.

Make us see what we are and what we could be, open our eyes, our minds and our hearts to do the things that need to be done, and the things that we can do to make this rich and beautiful land a joy and comfort to all our people.

We have set for ourselves great and never-ending tasks; stand by us in our labors and teach us not to weary nor to lose faith, neither to seek rewards beyond what is just but rather to see in our work the full measures of our own reward and to see in it the full expressions of ourselves.

When the day’s toil is ended, teach us to look to the morrow’s labor as a part of our continuing sacrifice; bring us not to the temptation of luxury, ease, nor privilege; nor to the blandishments of power or comfort that corrupt, but make of us a sturdy race, self-reliant, cheerful and upright.

Teach those who lead to act with firmness but with humility, with humility but with wisdom, with wisdom but with justice, and with justice but with compassion, and teach those who follow the true duties of being men and being members of a community of men.


Cleanse us of our anger, our bitterness, and our recriminations of the past, spare us the doubts and anxieties of the present, and purify us for our sacrifice so that we may raise a people who will be their own strength today, and their own warranty against the future. ~ FEM

Re-use PET bottles at home

PET bottles provide a lot of inventive ideas and innovations, and ways of saving money. Here are 10 simple and practical projects which you can put up at home, for economic and environmental benefits.
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature School on Blog 
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM Band, 8-9 evening class, Monday to Friday
1. Garden pots. (Punch holes on the lower side, not at the bottom) 
2.  Hydroponics (floating garden pots) for vegetables, herbal and ornamental
 
3. Aquarium pump filter extends life of machine, and for easier maintenance.  
                                      4. Birds' water fountain (automatic watering trough). 
                                             Design one according to your need.    
 
5. Pet food container, also for grains, beans, seeds for planting (binhi)
6. Funnel mainly for solids, and heavy liquids like oil. 
 
7. Handy Man's Tool organizer, gardening, house repair.  

8. Artist's tool organizer 

9. Second generation container for food and water, also non-food like detergents. Caution: PET bottles are not safe to corrosive substances, like alcohol and acids. Label each container according to its content.   
10. Hanging Garden, home and community project.
(MMDA) 


Add to this list other uses of PET bottles.  Share this lesson to your friends, school and community. 

* Polyethylene terephthalate (sometimes written poly(ethylene terephthalate)), commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P is a thermoplasticpolymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination with glass fiber. It may also be referred to by the brand name Dacron; in Britain, Terylene; or, in Russia and the former Soviet Union, Lavsan.